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Home Page of the Grand Magisterium of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre » Holy Land

Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

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Places and communities

Deir Rafat, spiritual lung of the diocese of the Holy Land
Celebrated on 25th October according to the liturgical calendar, the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Palestine, brings together thousands of faithful each year at the shrine dedicated to her, in Deir Rafat.   Founded by Patriarch...

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Useful links

www.catholic.co.il
Saint James Vicariate
for Hebrew-speaking Catholics

www.custodia.org
Custody of the Holy Land

www.cmc-terrasanta.com
Christian Media Center

catholicchurch-holyland.com
Catholic Church in the Holy Land

www.virtualtoursantosepolcro.org/
Virtual tour of the Holy Sepulchre

From the Holy Land

The Order’s deep bond with the Holy Land is already clearly evident in the Order’s very name: the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Knights and Dames of the Order care greatly for the fate of this land, and endeavor to "sustain and aid the charitable, cultural and social works and institutions of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land" (from the OESSH Constitution, article 2).

In this section you will find information on places and communities of the Holy Land, updates regarding the Order’s specific activity, and current news.

Updates from the Holy Land


Pilgrims in the Holy Land


Projects

In exercising its mission in support of the Christians in the biblical lands, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre spiritually and financially supports structures pertaining to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (schools, seminars, centers), both through stable and continuous projects as well as projects that can vary from year to year depending on the needs that are presented to the Grand Magisterium of the Order by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and by the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches, ROACO, which depends on the Congregation for Oriental Churches.

 

Generosity births hope amid the despair of war in the Holy Land

Generosity births hope amid the despair of war in the Holy Land
Since October 7, financial hardships have increased for numerous Christian families, especially in the West Bank and Jerusalem.  Struggling to make ends meet, worrying about their future and their children’s future in their beloved homeland. Since the beginning of the war, The Palestinian Authority has been unable to pay the salaries of around 180,000 public employees, many of whom are Christian and haven't been paid since October 2023. Many companies have adopted a budget cut to ensure...

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Update on projects supported by the Order in the Holy Land

Update on projects supported by the Order in the Holy Land
Beginning at the end of 2023 and in the first part of 2024, Lieutenancies around the world, through the Grand Magisterium, sent a voluntary solidarity contribution of about $1,5 million for the needs of the people affected by the ongoing conflict since the previous October 7. During 2024, with the exception of ROACO-related projects and, of course, regular contribution to the Latin Patriarchate for its institutional activities (educational, pastoral, social), the Order’s support will go mainly...

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The Order's projects together with the Latin Patriarchate

The Order's projects together with the Latin Patriarchate
At the request of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Order’s mission is to support the implementation of numerous projects, large and small, in the Holy Land. This article presents the projects completed in 2022, thanks to the contributions of the Lieutenancies around the world. These works, once completed, contribute to improving living standards of our brothers and sisters in this part of the world.   Aretrospective on the past year allows us to note that while the Covid-19...

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"Job creation" program for youth in Gaza

"Job creation" program for youth in Gaza
Sami El-Yousef, Administrative Director of the Latin Patriarchate, shares updates with us from Jerusalem as we approach Easter. While we Catholics live Holy Week accompanying Jesus in the central events of his passion, death and resurrection, Jews are also preparing to experience Passover and Muslims are in the midst of the month of Ramadan. "So Jerusalem will undoubtedly be very busy in the coming weeks as each faith celebrates according to their own traditions, in their designated...

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A project for women in East Jerusalem

A project for women in East Jerusalem
I n this period of economic recession in many parts of the world, due to the pandemic, which continues to have a profound impact on the life of our societies, the Grand Magisterium of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre has decided to support the Department of Social Services of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s initiative encouraging the participation of women in business in East Jerusalem. “The Latin Patriarchate believes that when women are given the means to express their full potential,...

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Under the mantle of Our Lady Woman of Valor: welcoming migrants in Israel

Under the mantle of Our Lady Woman of Valor: welcoming migrants in Israel
The pastoral center Our Lady Woman of Valor was opened in Tel Aviv by the St. James Vicariate for Hebrew-speaking Catholics of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem in March 2014. It is a place of welcome for Catholic migrants of diverse origins who are in Israel for business purposes or as asylum seekers. They require pastoral care in Hebrew and consideration of the specific issues that these communities are facing. The Center is one of the projects that the Order of the Holy Sepulchre supports...

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Solidarity projects in the Holy Land

Solidarity projects in the Holy Land
After two very difficult years (2020-2021) due to the pandemic, the health situation seems to be slowly improving in Israel. On the economic side, unemployment remains an important issue. Against this backdrop, pilgrimages have slowly resumed since December when Israel once again opened its doors to tourists. “The situation is volatile and could change at any time,” Sami ElYousef, administrative director of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, rightly says. During the meetings of the Grand...

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Some projects carried out in the Holy Land

Some projects carried out in the Holy Land
Over the past two years, the Grand Magisterium, in agreement with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, has decided to invest more on some small projects in the Holy Land compared to large construction projects. In 2018 the Grand Magisterium of the Order continued its support of those major projects already underway, such as the completion of the work in the new church in Jubeiha and the restructuring of a kindergarten in Hashimi (both in Jordan), but above all the important project that...

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The 2018 projects undertaken and supported at the request of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem

The 2018 projects undertaken and supported at the request of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Sami El-Yousef, chief executive officer of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, shared with us some important details about the projects the Grand Magisterium will support during 2018 in agreement with the Latin Patriarchate. In 2018 the Order’s commitment to the projects proposed by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem focuses primarily on the conclusion of projects already underway. One example is the Jubeiha church. In Jubeiha, Jordan, there is a growing Christian community. The first...

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Two projects were recently completed in the Holy Land

Two projects were recently completed in the Holy Land
Thanks to a contribution from the Austrian Lieutenancy, the Latin Patriarchate school in Nablus was able to upgrade its IT equipment. The Saint Joseph school has 22 classrooms, one PC laboratory and one library for a total of 608 students. The PC laboratory was very old and needed immediate rehabilitation since nowadays computers are useful tools for different subjects across the curriculum. The Latin Patriarchate therefore considered the upgrading of the IT equipment of this school a priority...

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Update on the Grand Magisterium's projects in 2017

Update on the Grand Magisterium's projects in 2017
PROJECTS CARRIED OUT TO DATE A new recreation courtyard for the Tla’el Ali school (Jordan) The project – dating back to 2016 – was completed thanks to the contribution of the Lieutenancy for Germany ($ 127,000): the school in Tla’el Ali was in need of a larger recreation courtyard, or was in danger of closing. New classrooms for the Naour school (Jordan) Another construction to which the Order has contributed in 2017, to the tune of $ 261,000, was the construction of the second floor of the...

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The Grand Magisterium’s Holy Land projects for 2017

The Grand Magisterium’s Holy Land projects for 2017
In late January 2017, the Holy Land Commission of the Grand Magisterium of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, together with the Governor General Agostino Borromeo, agreed the projects to be carried out with the support of the Order in 2017 with General Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Father Imad Twal. As in 2016, part of the funds will be allocated to the salary increase of teachers in Patriarchate schools, an important measure to allow us to continue offering excellent...

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The work of the Holy Child Program in Beit Sahour

The work of the Holy Child Program in Beit Sahour
The relationship between the Holy Child Program and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre began several years ago. The Mother General of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, Mother Shaun Vergauwen, would meet periodically with the Grand Master of the Order, Cardinal Edwin O’Brien, who took an interest in the activities of the community, and in particular, their work in the Holy Land. This relationship took on new impetus when a grant was submitted to the Order, for sustainability of...

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Update on projects supported by the Order in the Holy Land

Update on projects supported by the Order in the Holy Land
Thomas McKiernan, President of the Commission for the Holy Land of the Grand Magisterium, gives an overview of ongoing and future projects of support in the Holy Land which add to the monthly support given by the Order to all institutions of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (parishes, schools , medical facilities, communications works ...).   A high school in Israel Three-year project, started in 2015 In 2015 a project was started in Jaffa, Nazareth, in Israel, a town with about...

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An overview of 2015 in the Holy Land

An overview of 2015 in the Holy Land
In reflecting upon the events of 2015, it is important to remember Israel’s Parliamentary elections, held on March 17, which brought the victory of the Likud Party of the Premier Benjamin Netanyahu with 30 of the 120 Knesset seats in Israeli Parliament. In this regard, the regional director of the Pontifical Mission for Palestine, Sami El-Yousef, in his Eastertide letter expressed concern with respect to what he saw as “the most right-wing government in the history of the State of...

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